Peanut allergies may soon be history

Washington: A new study has revealed that peanut allergies may soon be history, after a scientist moved one step closer to his goal of eliminating 99.9 percent of peanut allergens by removing 80 percent of them in whole peanuts.

The researcher from University of Florida said that he has inched closer to cut the allergens from 150 milligrams of protein per peanut to below 1.5 milligrams and 95 percent of those with peanut allergies would be safe.

Wade Yang, an assistant professor in food science and human nutrition and member of UF's Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, asserted that he's using novel methods like pulsed light to reach an allergen level that will protect most people without destroying peanuts' texture, color, flavor and nutrition.

Normal peanut induced reactions can range from skin rashes to anaphylaxis, which can be fatal and Wade hopes to eventually conduct clinical trials on animals and humans and see the effect of the developed peanut.

About 1.9 million people, or 0.06 percent of U.S. residents, are allergic to peanuts, according to the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, part of the National Institutes of Health.

The research paper was published in journal Food and Bioprocess Technology.